( Her hand tightens on his wrist — not enough to bruise, just a firm, startled grip, like she's surprised to see what she's seeing even though they specifically came here for it, even though he told her they were in the area. It's just different, seeing them up close. And it is them, one stag and one tiny, slight doe, treading lightly through the underbrush. Only the top half of the former emerges, antlers rising high and alert and proud, its eyes seeming to land directly on Erik, inscrutable, beautiful.
It isn't that the stag seems afraid, but the doe seems braver, continuing on further out from the trees one tentative step at a time, neck extended, curious, edging toward them.
Laura holds her breath, afraid even exhaling too loudly will scare it. Painfully slowly, with delicate gentleness, she raises a hand, like an offering. It isn't her the doe is drawn to, it's Erik, but Laura's the one reaching out, Laura's the one within sniffing distance, and a velvet-soft nose brushes against the tips of her fingers. Behind them, in the treeline, the stag exhales a loud huff, dipping its head once, like an idle warning, but it does not otherwise move. Be careful how you treat the small one, that's what she'd like to imagine it means, but she doesn't know deer nearly well enough to translate. )
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It isn't that the stag seems afraid, but the doe seems braver, continuing on further out from the trees one tentative step at a time, neck extended, curious, edging toward them.
Laura holds her breath, afraid even exhaling too loudly will scare it. Painfully slowly, with delicate gentleness, she raises a hand, like an offering. It isn't her the doe is drawn to, it's Erik, but Laura's the one reaching out, Laura's the one within sniffing distance, and a velvet-soft nose brushes against the tips of her fingers. Behind them, in the treeline, the stag exhales a loud huff, dipping its head once, like an idle warning, but it does not otherwise move. Be careful how you treat the small one, that's what she'd like to imagine it means, but she doesn't know deer nearly well enough to translate. )